Adjustable crank.



PATENTED OCT. 1l, 1904.

No. 771,928. I

0. P. PERSsoN.

ADJUSTABLE GRANK.

APPLICATION FILED APB.16. 1902.

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' WITNESS PATENTED OCT. l1, 1904. 0. F. PERSSON.

ADJUSTABLE CRANK.

APPLmATIoN FILED n.116. 1902.

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No. 771,928. PATBNTBD OCT. 11,1904.

'0. F. PBRSSON.

ADJUSTABLE CRANK. y APPLIOATION FILED APR. 1e. 1902.'

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Patented October 11, 1904.

OTTO F. PERSSON, OF LYNN,

ASSIGNMENTS, OF NEW YORK.

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION ADJUSTABLE CRANK- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 77' 1,928, dated October 11, 1904. Application tiled April 16, 1902. Serial No. 103,170. (No model.)

To all 107mm, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO F. PERssoN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing' at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Cranks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for converting rotary motion into reciprocating motion, the reciprocating movement being variable at will while the parts are in motion. Such a device 'is capable of a variety of uses; but it has been especially designed for automobiles where a power-shaft is driven by a constantly-running gas-engine and from which power is transmitted to the oscillating levers of a ratchet-and-pawl actuating device on the driving-axle. VW hen a heavy grade or a sandy or muddy road imposes an extra load on the engine, it is desirable to be able to reduce the speed of the vehicle without varying the speed of the engine, since a gas-engine 1s most eiiicient when running at full speed,

and, moreover, if it is overloaded it is liable to stop. By means of my invention I avoid the danger of overloading the engine and enable it to exert its power to better advantage at a slower speed when circumstances call for an excess of power.

The invention consists in a disk secured to the power-shaft of the engine and carryinga diametrical screw, a nut on said screw carrying a crank-pin, a pinion on one end of the screw, two non-rotatable gears, either of which can be thrown into mesh with the pinion to rotate the screw in one direction or the other, and a connecting-rod on the crank-pin for imparting reciprocating movement to the ratchet-and-pawl driving device. The rotation of the screw causes the nut and the crankpin to travel radially of the disk, so as to vary the stroke of the crank-pin, and consequently the amount of angular motion imparted to the driving-axle at each rotation of the powershaft.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of an vautomobile equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 isatop plan view of a portion thereof. Fig. 3 is a front sectional elevation of my adjustable crank on a larger scale. Fig. L is an end elevation partly in'section. Fig. 5 is a front elevation with the non-rotatable gears removed. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7 7, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an elevation of the screw-pinion, nut, and crank-pin. Fig. 9 is a side view of the connecting-rod, partly in section; and Figs. 10 and l1 are views in elevation and plan of the system of operating-levers.

The automobile 1 is shown as equipped with an explosive-gas engine 2 of any Vapproved type, which rotates a power-shaft 3 at a constant speed. The rotary movement of this shaft is imparted to the driving-axle 4. by means of a system of reciprocating rods 5 and oscillating pawl-and-ratchet devices 6 acting on said axle. The rods are connected by a connecting-rod 7 with an adjustable crank. The connecting-rod is preferably provided with a ball or roller bearing, as shown in Fig. 9.

On the power-shaft 3 is secured a disk 8, on which at diametrically opposite points are bearings 9, in which is journaled a screw 10, extending diametrically across the disk. A groove 11 in one of the journals of said screw is engaged by a transverse pin 12 to prevent the screw from endwise displacement. At one end of the screw is a pinion 13, preferably a bevel friction-gear.` Concentric with the disk is a shell 14., movable longitudinally of the shaft 8 by any suitable device, such as a bell-crank lever 15 and rod 16, but splined on the shaft-bearing so as not to rotate with the shaft. The shell carries two bevel friction-gears 17 and 18, lying on opposite sides of the pinion 13 and normally out of contact therewith. By means of the bell-crank lever one gear or the other can be brought into contact with the pinion, so that as the disk revolves the pinion and screw will be rotated.

Across the disk at each side of the screw is a guide 19, and in the guideway between them slides a nut 20, meshing with the screw and carrying a crank-pin 21. The nut is of such length that when one end of it abuts against one end of the guideway the crankpin will be concent-ric with the aXis of the power-shaft. If the screw is now rotated by bringing one of the gears against the pinion, the pin will be carried radially away from the shaft, imparting a greater and greater stroke to the connecting rod until the nut abuts against the opposite end of the guideway, in which position the pin will give its longest stroke. It is evident that this device enables the operator while the engine is running to shift the pin at will in either direction, so as to lengthen or shorten the stroke, and thus enable the engine to exert its power to drive the automobile at a greater or less speed, as circumstances may require.

The rods 5 and connecting-rod 7 are all connected to a slide reciprocating in a guide 22,

supported by radius-rods 23 from the frame of the engine and the rear axle-frame 24. This construction preserves a constant distance between the engine-shaft and the driving-axle irrespective of the body on its springs.

Mounted for revolution with one ofthe rear wheels is a brake-drum 25, and encircling said drum and suitably supported is a brake-band, which is attached to the actuating-lever 26. In the forward portion of the vehicle is a lever 27, pivoted at a point between its ends and having two actuators 28 and 29 or their equivalent-a single arm united with the lever, so as to move with it. The lever 27 is connected by a link 3() with the bell-crank lever 3l, and the latter is connected to the brake-actuating lever 26. The actuator 28 is used in applying' the brake, and as it is depressed it also moves the rod 16 in a manner to cause the crank-pin 21 to move to the center of revolution of the shaft 3. The actuator 29 is employed in moving the crank-pin 2l toward or away from the center of revolution for the purpose of varying the speed of the vehicle. It will be noted that the bell -crank lever 3l performs two functions e., that of moving the crank-pin and setting the brake.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is4

l. An adjustable crank, comprising a rotatable disk, a screw mounted diametrically thereon, a nut on the screw for adjusting the position of the crank-pin, a crank-pin on the nut, a brake, and means for simultaneously turning the screw while the disk is rotating and applying the brake.

2. An adjustable crank, comprising a rotatable disk, a screw mounted diametrically thereon, a nut on the screw, a crank-pin on the nut, a brake, a lever, and means connected to the lever for shortening the throw of the crankpin and applying the brake.

3. In combination, an engine, a shaft driven thereby, an adjustable crank for the engine, a brake for retarding the motion of the engine, and means for simultaneously reducing the speed of the engine and applying the brake.

4. In combination, ashaft,aspeed-changing device therefor, a lever for actuating the same, a brake actuated by the said lever, and means employed to actuate the lever.

5. In combination, a driven shaft, a brake, a crank-pin for changing the speed of the driven shaft, a lever, and an actuating means for changing the position of the crank-pin and applying the brake.

6. In combination, an adjustable crank for changing the speed of a driven shaft, a connection between the shaft and the crank, a brake for the shaft, a lever which when it is moved one way releases the brake and adjusts the crank, and when moved the other way applies the brake and shortens the stroke of the crank, and means connecting the lever with the crank and brake.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of April, 1902.

OTTO F. PERSSON. Witnesses:

DUGALD MoK. McKlLLoP, Jol-IN A. MclNIANUs. 

